Doctor: 'Chicken Shots' Can Fight Arthritis Pain

BINGHAM FARMS (WWJ) - Suffering from bad knees? You may not need to.

According to Beaumont orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Guettler, there's a little-known shot that can help take away the pain.

Guettler told WWJ Newsradio 950's Sandra McNeil the shots contain a substance found in a rooster's comb that help lubricate the knee inside.

"A naturally occurring substance in knees and other joints that gets depleted when wear and tear arthritis sets in," he explained. "And the idea of these shots is that you're replenishing some of this hyaluronic acid."

Guettler said the shots are not a cure, but they can help about two-thirds of patients with mild to moderate arthritis pain.

"They're not gonna grow cartilage on bare bone, and they're not gonna prevent arthritis from progressing," said Guettler. "And that's what people need to understand - that these are mainly a time-buyer until they need something more major in the future."

The so-called "chicken shots" don't harm the knee like cortisone shots can. Guettler said the shots are covered by most insurance plans.